


Paladin Lost

by 4_angsty_zukos



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Autistic Keith (Voltron), Bisexual Male Character, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Hawaiian Character, Hurt/Comfort, Japanese-American Character, Korean Keith (Voltron), M/M, Nonbinary Character, Space Dad Shiro (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-27
Packaged: 2018-07-29 13:34:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7686538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4_angsty_zukos/pseuds/4_angsty_zukos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was only supposed to be a routine scouting mission. Coran had sworn the planet was peaceful , but that wasn't the truth. The Blue and Red Paladins find themselves separated and surrounded by the Galra. Keith manages to escape and get back to his Lion only to realize that the Blue Lion is still empty. And a Galra ship is leaving the planet .....</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Unexpected

Keith couldn't believe this. Why did HE have to get stuck with Lance of all people? 

"Shiro, can't you send somebody else with me? Lance is hard to work with! " 

Lance nodded, glaring at Keith. " It's true, Shiro. I don't know if Keith can handle this much awesomeness! Might bust his brain. " 

" WHAT did you say, Little Boy Blue?"   
"You heard me. " 

"ENOUGH!! This is exactly why you two are going ! You boys need to learn how to get along. So until you do, I'm going to force you to partner up on every mission. Look, the planet is peaceful and you're only going to be there for two hours scouting for resources. Maybe making first contact with locals , if there are any. " Shiro had his " no arguing " tone on. 

Keith sighed. Lance groaned. " FINE. " 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Thirty minutes on this planet , and Keith wanted to punch Lance in the face. 

The idiot was singing the most annoying songs he could think of to pass the time. 

If Keith had to hear that annoyingly lovely singing any longer, he was going to lose it. 

"Lance, I swear to God, if you sing ' Cotton Eye Joe' ONE MORE TIME, I will break your vocal cords. " 

" Fine. " Lance was quiet for a blissful sixty seconds. 

Then he launched into "99 Bottles Of Beer". 

"LANCE!"

 

Keith slashed down a small tree with his bayard to calm down. It wasn't Lance's fault Keith was easily agitated, after all. Keith just couldn't stand repetitive music. 

It was one of those things that made him feel different from other people . 

Everyone else could enjoy repetition , but Keith hated it .It drove him nuts. 

He hadn't told the team about his auditory triggers , or his autism just yet. He didn't want to lose Red. 

Besides, he was a mild case on the spectrum. He could handle doing most things in life. 

It was just being put on the spot , high pitched noises , and socializing that were difficult. 

 

He liked being a part of Voltron , he loved having Red to understand him. He enjoyed getting to vent his frustrations with himself on alien goons.

He liked the other Paladins . Pidge was pretty cool to him most of the time and they'd even gone out of their way to explain new tech to him.   
Hunk was always nice enough to remember his food preferences , and Shiro would always listen if he needed to talk. 

But Lance.... Lance was different. He was loud and spontaneous and reckless. He was annoying and charming at the same time. 

Keith envied Lance's ease with social graces. He wished he could make friends that fast. But the right words always seemed to get lost in his mind. He'd just say whatever was on his tongue and it wasn't always right. 

Keith sighed. Lance wasn't THAT bad. Keith wanted to get along with him. He took a deep breath , enjoying the calm quiet. 

Wait. Quiet? With LANCE around?! 

Something must be wrong! 

"Lance???? " Keith looked around. Lance was not in sight. 

"KEITH RUN! GALRA! LOTS OF GALRA! GO GET RED!!!" Lance's voice sounded distant , but Keith followed it. 

At least, he tried. But Galra soldiers emerged from the forest around him. Thirty goons , all aiming their blasters at him. 

Keith glared at them. How dare they keep him from his friend! He charged with his bayard , slashing furiously and cursing whenever he missed. 

At last , he's won. He's bruised and aching, but he won. He rushes toward where Lance should be, only to hear Lance yell again. 

" KEITH! HURRY AND GET RED! THERE'S TOO MANY OF THEM! I can't- AAAAAAHHHH!"   
Lance's cry of pain echoes through the air and Keith feels his stomach sink. He turns and runs as fast as he can to Red, desperate to help. 

He's in Red now, covering the distance easily , but by the time he reaches the spot , all that remains are broken Galra drones , splatters of red blood on the strange white dirt,and Lance's bayard . Lance is gone. 

Keith curses, Red roars in fury and he adds his own angry shout to hers. 

" DAMN IT!" 

Lance is gone. Gone. GONE. 

And it's all because Keith wasn't fast enough.


	2. Just Lance's Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is desperately trying to catch up to the Galra ship as the other Paladins try to form a plan for rescue , and Lance is trying to escape on his own, but with his injuries, that might be tricky.

" Keith? KEITH?! What's going on?! Are you hurt? Why are you shouting?" Shiro's voice broke through the blinding rage in Keith's mind. 

"I'm...I'm fine, Shiro. But.... Lance. They... They took him. We got ambushed , we got separated, and ....and....they.... They took him, Shiro! The Galra took Lance. I was fighting - there were so many of them , Shiro.... I was fighting and I won , Lance was yelling at me to get Red , and I tried to reach him , but ...but... They HURT him, Shiro! He was fighting and then I heard him scream in pain. By the time I got there , there were broken drones and Lance's bayard was on the ground and ....and....blood. Red blood. It's my fault, I wasn't fast enough, I should have done better, I...I....I.... " Keith couldn't shake the sound of Lance's cry of agony out of his mind. Lance was in pain because Keith wasn't good enough. 

"Keith. Calm down. We'll get him back, okay? Lance is going to be fine. It's not your fault. I should have made sure the planet was safe. I'm sorry. Are you hurt? " Shiro sounded calm, but there was a touch of worry in his tone. 

" I'm banged up, but I'll be fine. I'm going after Lance."   
Keith gripped the controls tightly. He wasn't going to let the Galra steal his friend. 

" Okay, be careful. We'll catch up you. Try and damage their ship so they can't get far, all right? We won't let them run off with Lance. And , Keith? Lance is tough. He'll be okay. I bet the Galra are regretting taking him already. "   
Shiro reassured him ,and Keith wanted to believe him. 

But he wasn't going to be happy until Lance was safe. 

 

"All right, Red. We've got work to do!" Keith quickly piloted Red into the sky , following the Galra ship that was taking off. 

"Hang in there, Lance.I'm coming! I'll save you!" 

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lance was not pleased. He'd been having a nice time despite Keith being a grouch , and then the ambush happened. 

The Galra didn't even play FAIR! Two people against 60??? That HAD to be cheating . 

Lance actually managed to take out fifteen drones pretty quickly , when out of nowhere, the remaining Galra soldiers just vanished. 

No, not that. More like they activated some complex cloaking technology so Lance couldn't see them. 

The fight got hard after THAT trick. Lance was reduced to firing his blaster at wherever a noise occured, only landing a hit one in five blasts. 

He still managed to take down five more and then , an invisible soldier caught him by surprise and hit him full force in the shoulder with what felt like a mace. 

It HURT. Lance couldn't help but scream. The soldiers reappeared, cloaking tech abandoned now that they'd hurt him. 

Lance cursed. " Hey , guys. Good fight. Let's play again sometime, but I'm late for lunch . " 

He tried to make a break for it , but six blasters fired and pain erupted everywhere, the Blue Paladin collapsed, and the soldiers laughed. 

 

He woke up aching and confused in a small cell . The walls were metal and had glowing purple lights. A Galra ship! 

"Damn. What luck. " Lance muttered as he sat up, wincing and groaning as his injured arm protested. He looked at his shoulder and grimaced. Blood covered the shoulder of his suit and bits of metal were embedded in the wound. Lance swore he could see bone. 

He took a deep breath. Hunk was going to kill him for getting hurt. And Keith would... 

Lance gasped. "Keith? KEITH! " Oh man, if Keith had been hurt too.... 

Lance stood, wincing as cuts and burns protested. He searched the cell. 

No Keith. Worry building , Lance stumbled over to the door of the cell. He pushed it , and, shockingly, it opened. 

Someone forgot to lock him in!Lance quietly thanked the gods for such fortune as he slipped out of his cell. 

The ship was tiny, only meant for scouting missions , so it held only a few troops. But in Galra terms , that meant it held 80 soldiers instead of 800 , so there were still concerns. 

Lance sighed. He put his helmet back on and tried to contact Keith . 

 

"Keith? Keith? Come on, Red Mullet, answer!" 

" ...I told you to stop calling me that, Lance. " 

"Keith! Are you okay?" 

" Yeah, Blue Boy, and I'm coming to save you. Are... Are you hurt?" 

Lance laughed. " Well if you count a severely damaged shoulder , probably busted collar bone , and multiple cuts and burns hurt, then yes. " 

" You idiot, how did you get that badly wounded?" 

" THEY CHEATED! They went invisible on me! And then they hit me with a mace! " 

" Yikes. You have some kind of luck, huh?" 

" Shut up , Keith. " 

" Lance, brace yourself. I'm gonna shoot that ship down and get you out of there." 

 

"WHAT?! You're gonna shoot this thing out of the sky ? WITH ME IN IT?!" 

" Yes. So hold on to something!" 

" WITH ONE ARM?! KEITH!" 

 

The ship shook violently, throwing Lance into the wall. His injured shoulder protested as it hit the unforgiving metal. Lance groaned. 

Another jolt , and the ship began descending rapidly, Lance leaning against the wall and trying not to pass out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 171 hits so far on the first chapter? I'm so pleased!!! 
> 
> Also , for those who might be mad that I made Keith autistic - I have a younger brother with autism , and a lot of Keith's mannerisms remind me of him. I mean no disrespect to those who have autism, in fact I hope this story helps you to understand it better. 
> 
> If I offend you with the way I portray autism, please comment and talk to me about it. I don't want anyone to be upset. 
> 
>  
> 
> I'm sorry , Lance, baby. You're gonna be unhappy for a little bit. 
> 
> Brace yourselves for whump , folks. Lots of whump. Everyone gets whump. 
> 
> Hugs to everyone who's read so far!!! This is my first work so it means a lot that you like it 


	3. Blue and Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith's attack on the Galra ship is successful , and it plummets hard and fast into the ground . Keith rushes to the crash site as the other Paladins arrive on the planet . 
> 
> Lance is struggling to escape the ship as Galra soldiers , noticing his escape, are on the hunt for him.

"- ANCE? LANCE?!HOLY SHIT CAN YOU HEAR ME? I'm sorry, I didn't mean for the ship to freaking CRASH, oh my God , oh my God, oh my God .... LANCE?????!!!!!! Oh man , it looks bad , hang on, hang on, I'll get you out! Lance? Oh God maybe you're dead, you're dead and it's my fault my fault my fault my fault my-" 

"... Son of a bitch, that HURT! Calm down, hot head, stress causes hair loss...shit, shit, OW!... You...you wouldn't...look half so pretty....bald.....Everything is spinning, did you set the planet to turbo spin? Ugh, my head hurts....actually, most of me hurts. Did you have to shoot the ship out of the sky so HARD? A gentle crash would have been nice. " 

 

" Lance , are you seriously complaining because your crash landing didn't meet your standards?" 

" Now, Keith...a boy's gotta have standards, and I think I'm worth a soft crash landing. " 

"At least your annoying personality is unharmed, Blue Brain. " 

" What kind of insult is - HOLY QUIZNAK! KEITH! Keith! There's - coughing- oh, man, that hurts... There's soldiers looking for me. I'm...trying....to avoid them....but I can't move too well.....-cough- and this ship is a mess, so. ..not....easy...to maneuver....No clue...how.....to ...get....out.... Keith? Help?"

" Lance? Are you hurt? " 

" Shiro! Yeah, I'm in rough shape, amigo. -coughing- Everything hurts .... Can't balance well.....dizzy.... Probably hit my head.....the soldiers ....are.....looking for me.... I'm.... Trying to hide..... " 

"Don't worry, Lance, we're here now and we're going to get you out safely. Keep talking to us and try not to pass out, okay? Passing out is probably a really bad idea for you right now. " 

" Okay......-coughing- oh, that hurt like a motherfricker... Is Blue safe? She's not damaged, is she?" 

"She's safe , Lance. Probably worried about you , though. " Pidge answered, smirking at Lance's concern for others even in a crisis. It was a very cute trait of his that Pidge admired. 

"Glad ...she's....okay.....OW! FUCK! IT'S RUDE TO SHOOT AN INJURED PERSON, YOU SHITSTAIN!Yay....more...pain... " 

"Language, Lance. You okay?" 

" Shiro, I'll swear if I want to. I'm in a lot of fucking pain. I'm okay for now- coughing- my ribs feel like knives in my chest - groans- a Galra soldier managed to shoot me in my mangled shoulder .....hurt like a bitch, too...." 

" We're at the ship now, Lance. Stay calm. Don't get killed, Blue Boy, okay? " 

" Whatever...you...say....Red Blade....." 

" Are you nicknaming me after my weapon? Really, Blue Blaster?" 

"Ha! You're....doing...it...now.... -coughing- " 

"If you two don't stop arguing , I'm gonna tell Coran you want to hear every detail of Altaen history. And I'll lock you in a room with him. " 

 

" Dios mio! YOU MONSTER!"   
" Shiro I'll clean Black Lion for a MONTH if you don't do that. " 

" I'll clean Black for SIX if you DO!" Pidge yelled gleefully. 

"Whose side....-coughing- oh....bloody coughs now? Huh.... Whose side are you fucking ON, Pidge?"

"The side of chaos, Lance. Don't cough a lung out, okay? " 

" LANCE BUDDY IF YOU PROMISE NOT TO DIE I'LL MAKE YOU THE BEST DINNER EVER OKAY?!" 

" Hunk, don't shout. We can all hear you. " 

 

The Lions landed and their paladins got out to survey the wreck in front of them. Keith leapt out of Red and rushed over. 

" Shiro, we have to hurry! Lance sounded pretty bad. " 

" I know. Pidge, you have a location on Lance?" 

Pidge consulted their computer gauntlet. " Looks like ...he's close! About twenty feet in from the loading dock. His vital signs aren't good. Heart rate is erratic and temp is high. " 

 

Keith cursed. " Let's go get our friend back!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, 214 hits so far!!! I'm so happy! Hey, if you like Alphas , check out my Alphas fic? ( Alphas is a lot like X-Men if you like Marvel stuff) 
> 
>  
> 
> Leave me a review if you have time? I want to know if you like it! If you don't want to leave a review , maybe leave a kudos? 
> 
>  
> 
> Hit me up on tumblr! I'm   
> teenage-mutant-angsty-zukos !


	4. Pulse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fighting their way through a ship that's collapsing around them , the Paladins follow Lance's signal , a wavering light guiding them forward. 
> 
> Keith listens to his pulse and prays that Lance's lasts long enough.

Shiro looked at the other three Paladins, determination in his eyes. " All right, everyone. This is serious. We are NOT leaving this planet without Lance. So be on your toes , and don't take unneccessary risks! Lance is in rough shape , we don't know how bad he's hurt , and he's counting on us. Understood?" 

" Yes , sir!" Hunk answered, glaring at the ship as if he wanted to destroy every inch of it for separating them from Lance. 

Keith nodded . He was going to make up for losing Lance . 

Pidge looked nervous , but ready to fight. They stood on their toes, bayard brightly glowing in hand. 

" Okay , team! For LANCE!" Shiro yelled, charging into a hole in the ship . 

" FOR LANCE!!" The Paladins echoed , following Shiro. 

Soldiers roamed the ship, searching for Lance , but instead found themselves facing four furious Paladins . 

Hunk blasted six soldiers out of his way , yelling for Lance as he fought. 

Pidge shouted updates on Lance's location and vital signs as they knocked down soldiers with their bayard . 

Shiro roared angrily , throwing soldiers aside like toys in his desperation to reach Lance. 

And Keith fought with a ferocity he'd never realized he had in him , slashing through drones and soldiers with grace and efficiency . 

 

" BLUE BOY YOU BETTER BE ALIVE WHEN I GET TO YOU!" Keith shouted as he made his way forward. 

A few feet ahead , laughter echoed. " MULLET MAN....DON'T THREATEN ME..... YOU....YOU COULDN'T FIGHT ME........if you....tried...." 

Keith smirked. He moved past Shiro , who was tangled up with five drones , and hurried toward the sound of Lance's voice.

" Keep talking , Blue Brain , it's dark in here!" 

" I thought......you emo kids....liked....the dark.... Keith...... -Coughing- " 

A few more feet .....There! Lance was slumped against the wall , partially pinned by debris covering his legs. 

Keith winced and cursed himself silently. 

Lance looked awful. His right shoulder was a bloody , torn up mess. Small metal spikes were embedded in the armor and the flesh , bone visible through the vibrant red. 

Cuts and burns littered his arms , and probably his legs as well. Lance's breathing sounded dreadful, as though he'd breathed in broken glass. It sounded distinctly wet as well. Keith suspected that Lance's ribcage was damaged. Bruises on his forehead showed he'd taken a blow to the head there, and there was a drying patch of blood in his hair that suggested another rough bump. Despite the dust and blood all over him, however, Lance smiled at Keith. 

" Hey ...Red. You okay?" 

" ME???? YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S COVERED IN BLOOD! " 

" This?...it's a scratch...." 

" A scratch. You hit that empty head nice and hard, didn't you?" 

" Hey....you...were the. ...one....who blew....up...the ship.... " 

"Shut up. Just stay breathing , idiot. Let me get you out of here. " 

Keith shoved the debris off Lance , and winced again, feeling cold guilt in his chest. 

There was a large gash across Lance's left thigh, and his right ankle was swollen badly and at a clearly unnatural angle. 

Lance was in terrible pain , and Keith hadn't been able to prevent it. 

"Lance....I'm so sorry . If I'd been there , fighting with you......" 

 

" You'd.....be ....hurt.....too. Don't....blame...yourself....Red Mullet..... " 

Keith swallowed a lump in his throat. " I won't if you live to torment me another day , pretty boy. " 

"Deal." 

Keith grabbed Lance's good arm and lifted him up , slinging Lance's arm over his shoulder. Lance bit his lip and hissed when he put weight on his ankle, but remained standing.

" Easy , Lance. We've got you. " Shiro said, finally done fighting the drones and joining Keith . 

Shiro moved to the right side of Lance, ready to support him if he needed it. 

Hunk and Pidge joined them seconds later , Hunk gasping loudly when he saw Lance. 

"OH MY GOD I'M NEVER LETTING YOU OUT OF THE CASTLE AGAIN! LOOK AT YOU! Dear heaven, is he gonna die?" Hunk fretted as he hugged his best friend gently . 

" Only if he eats Coran's cooking , Hunk. " Pidge reassured him, giving Lance a pat on the head. 

" Okay, we can fuss over him later. Right now he needs a healing pod. " 

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Hunk tapped the healing pod's clear front panel. 

" How long is he gonna be stuck in there? " 

" Well, normally, he'd only require five days . But....he's developed a nasty infection from the shoulder wound. It's an infection that Alteans can succumb to quite suddenly. I'm not sure how human immune systems will react to it. Luckily, the healing pod is fully equipped to eradicate infections. Lance should be out in perhaps .....two weeks?" 

 

" TWO WEEKS??????" Hunk shrieked, gazing sadly at the pod. Lance was asleep , his face pale and drawn in pain. It killed Hunk to see Lance hurting like this. 

Keith sighed ." Two weeks in the healing pod . I'm so sorry , Hunk . If I'd been better-" 

" Better? Better at what? Keith, Lance is tough.He fights as well as any of us. But the Galra overwhelmed him. They've been playing this game for a lot longer , and we're like, level one. The Galra know all the cheat codes and they're level infinity . Even if you two hadn't been separated, it probably wouldn't have turned out different. "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me if my Spanish isn't great. I'm learning from my Landlord's wife. Any Spanish phrases you know would be great! Also , Korean for Keith maybe? Any Korean speakers? 
> 
>  
> 
> I'm so sorry for putting Lance through all of this, and poor Keith. 
> 
> We always hurt the ones we love, though, right? 
> 
> Again, NO OFFENSE IS INTENDED with the inclusion of my autism headcanon , or any of my character depictions. 
> 
> Please comment if I upset you. I can't correct my behavior if I don't know it's bad. 
> 
> Completely unrelated note, Laughing Under The Clouds is great and MY HEART HURTS. 
> 
> I'm updating this instead of sleeping because my chest is intensely sore.


	5. Guilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith counts down the longest two weeks of his life as he quietly frets over Lance's recovery. 
> 
> The other Paladins begin to suspect something is wrong with Keith. It's not like the Red Paladin to pace the halls so tensely , to check Lance's healing pod every five minutes . 
> 
> What's happened to the constantly arguing Blue and Red ? 
> 
> Pidge has a theory , Shiro is confused, Hunk is stress baking , Coran is reading all the records on Blue and Red Paladins, and Allura wishes Keith would sit down .

Two weeks. Keith's failure to protect Lance meant that the Blue Paladin was going to be healing for two full weeks. Well, Keith was going to make up for not being useful before . For the next two weeks, he was going to make SURE that absolutely nothing harmed Lance. 

Shiro was confused the first day of Lance's healing when he wandered into the dining hall and passed Keith standing guard outside the infirmary.  
" Keith? You don't need to do that, Lance is safe. "  
" Yes, he is , because I'm here. Nothing is going to touch him without killing ME first. " 

" Keith, it's not your fault he was injured. No one blames you. " 

" That's the point , Shiro. No one is blaming ME!!! I was his partner , his backup! I didn't do my job. But I'm doing it now. You wanted us to get along better, and I...I let him annoy me , I let us get separated. ...and now he's stuck in a healing pod for fourteen days. I...I cost him two weeks of his life. I nearly cost him ALL of it. " 

Keith ranted , looking sadly at Shiro , guilt making the young paladin's face pale . 

Shiro sighed. " Okay, if that's how you see it, then I won't stop you. But I'll have Hunk bring you something to eat . " 

 

From the kitchen , Hunk shouted :" HE CAN HAVE MY FIRST FAILED CAKE, SHIRO!" 

Shiro raised an eyebrow. " You're baking?" 

Hunk emerged from the kitchen, carrying a cake pan with a strange grayish blue lump in it. 

" Yeah, I've been up all night trying to cook something great for when my best buddy wakes up! The cake isn't that bad , but it's not perfect. It has to be PERFECT for Lance. This mess ended up tasting like potatoes and gravy mixed with peaches. It's strangely good. Eat up , Keith. And try not to kick yourself too hard over Lance ?" 

Startled, Keith took the cake . Shiro was now focusing on trying to get Hunk to sleep. 

Pidge yawned as they walked into the kitchen , busily toying with a Galra blaster they'd stolen. 

" Hunk, please go to bed. It's good for you to - MOTHER OF QUIZNAK!!! PIDGE, NO WEAPONS AT BREAKFAST!!!!" 

" - yawn- Hunk has his bayard. I have mine. You've got your Galra arm. Those are weapons. Besides, this isn't THAT danger- OH MY GOD CORAN WATCH OUT!" 

A loud explosion and a yelp. " Careful, number Five! You nearly took my hand off! Lucky I have the reflexes of an Altean Wrikshan , eh, Allura?" 

" Coran, the Wrikshan is considerably more agile. You were lucky. You have the reflexes of ...the Gribdeyyur. " 

" How dare you! A GRIBDEYYUR???? " 

Keith chuckled , listening to the antics of the others. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Day 3 

Allura was becoming very frustrated with the Red Paladin. In all her years, she'd never seen a Red Paladin quite as infuriating. 

Every time she approached the infirmary to check on Lance's healing , Keith was there.

" What are you doing?" He'd demand, as if she was a threat!  
He would watch her working on the healing pod, adjusting the settings to aid Lance's recovery , and she could feel the quiet glaring from him. 

He paced the halls relentlessly , popped into.the infirmary every few ticks to check on Lance, and attacked anything that startled him. 

Allura really wished the agitated boy would just sit down. 

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 7 

How any of them had survived Mama Wolf Keith this long , Pidge didn't know. 

Pidge had watched plenty of nature documentaries , and they were fairly sure that Keith was behaving the same way a lion naturally would if their mate was injured. 

Yes, that was it. Keith had it bad for Lance and this was just Keith being a protective boyfriend. 

It didn't surprise Pidge in the slightest that Lance and Keith were dating. 

The pair argued like a married couple already. And their snide comments were often veiled compliments. 

 

Pidge couldn't wait to tell Hunk that Lance and Keith were dating. Hunk was going to faint.  
And Shiro . 

SHIRO. Pidge was going to savor his face the rest of their life . 

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Day 10  
Coran was desperate to figure out the newest Red Paladin's behaviour. He'd been neck deep.in anecdotes of Red Paladins since the first day of Keith's new behaviours. Perhaps it was that , like Red Paladin Anaris , Keith had a nasty bout of Myuurion Food Poisoning ? 

Or maybe , just as Red Paladin Kinaro , Keith had contracted the dreaded Fegorion Brain Grubs ! 

Or he'd come into contact with a Dynestrian Mood Flower, known for altering personalities for long periods of time. Poor Red Paladin Dymes had fallen victim to this, and had been reduced to a curtain eating mess for three days. 

 

Whatever it was, Coran would find a way to cure it. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 14 

 

Finally , Lance was due to wake up. Shiro could actually relax now without Keith stalking the halls. 

Pidge and Hunk watched the pod and Keith carefully , Pidge looking extremely excited. 

Shiro wasn't sure he bought Pidge's theory. 

Lance and Keith? Together? Romantically? 

Nah. 

Coran looked at Keith like he was observing a rare creature, and he took notes with such solemn concentration that Shiro had to bite his lip in order to keep from laughing. 

 

Allura watched the pod open with relief , pleased that now Keith would be back to normal . 

 

Lance stumbled out of the pod , and Keith caught him. 

" Keith? You going for the award in " Universe's Dirtiest Mullet" contest? Because you're gonna have to try harder than that. Your hair still looks soft . Kinda grungy, but soft. " As he spoke , Lance tangled his fingers in Keith's hair. 

Keith smirked . " At least your awful jokes mean you're okay. " 

" You're just jealous that I look this pretty and I'm this funny. " 

" You're not funny. " 

" BUT YOU ADMIT I'M PRETTY!" 

Shiro's jaw fell open. Pidge was squealing with delight, Hunk muttered something about owing Pidge five bucks , and Coran fainted. 

Allura sighed heavily. Now the two most obnoxious Paladins were together.  
Quiznak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to update this last night but ....I BOUGHT HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD, I WAS UP UNTIL TWO IN THE MORNING READING IT
> 
> Scorpius Malfoy is entirely to blame for my neglectfullness . 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Love you all!


	6. Like Twilight Zone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Shiro said he wanted Keith and Lance to get along , he never expected them to actually LISTEN. 
> 
> The castle is calm. There's less bickering. Keith smiles occasionally. 
> 
> Shiro has never been so frightened. 
> 
> Coran is convinced something must be dreadfully wrong with the Red and Blue Paladins , Pidge is thrilled their theory was right, Hunk is annoyed by Lance spending so much time with Keith , and Allura is doting on the new pair like a mom. 
> 
> Shiro didn't ask for this

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you thought Lance was out of danger , you're gonna be so disappointed.... 
> 
> I JUST READ THE KILLING JOKE AND I CAN'T SLEEP 
> 
> I've been majorly into Bleach again lately so violence is on my mind 
> 
>  
> 
> Warning for PTSD in this chapter!!!!

" LANCE! DID YOU PUT A BLUE LION POSTER IN MY ROOM?!" 

"YOU NEED SOMETHING TO REMIND YOU WHO'S THE CUTEST IN THE UNIVERSE , PRETTY BOY! " 

" HOW DARE YOU BE SO CHARMING WHEN I'M ANNOYED AT YOU! I'm gonna smack you so hard you see stars! "

" All I need to do to see stars is look into those lovely eyes of yours, Red Mullet. " 

" Damn you , don't flirt when I'm angry with you. " 

" Can you two speak up ? I want to record this for future generations. " 

" PIDGE!"   
" Yes?"   
" Can you stop following us?" 

" But you two are my source of drama and romance!!!! I don't want to miss a new episode!" 

"Pidge, leave the lovebirds alone! I'm so sorry they're bothering you, boys. Go on. Pidge, Hunk wanted help in the kitchen. " 

" Allura if I cook you'll all be poisoned. " 

" That's a risk I'm willing to let you take. " 

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shiro was scared. Keith and Lance were together every waking moment now, the usual arguing turned to flirting and teasing , prank wars and quick kisses in the corners of the castle. 

He missed the days when they hated each other. 

There was no way he'd survive the Galra AND the romance . 

\----------------------------------------------------------------

Hunk was happy that Lance had found someone , honestly he was. 

But he felt ignored. Lance had been his best friend for most of his life , and now Hunk hardly had any time with him. 

He missed the days back at the Garrison , when he and Lance would get into trouble together. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lance is exhausted. A lingering exhaustion hangs in the bottom of his conscious , and he finds himself afraid to sleep. Most nights he spends awake drawing , or reading the few Earth books that are in the castle's database. 

A scar remains from his ordeal aboard the Galra ship - a nasty purple starburst shape with black lightning edges radiating out from it. No one has seen this scar, he's too afraid the others will pity him and treat him like he's vulnerable if they know. 

His shoulder aches sporadically , blinding instants of pain that send his mind back to the fight , back to the horror of the mace impacting his shoulder , back to the sound of his bones breaking, back to the agony of it. 

His dreams are full of dark metal halls with purple glowing light , harsh Galra voices , and screams. He wakes from them aching and terrified. 

He tries to maintain his cheerful mask, but it slips on occasion, and Shiro sees. 

Soon, Shiro comes to talk to Lance when he , too, is kept awake by memories. Lance tells him of dark halls and cruel laughter, Shiro speaks of fear filled nights in cold cells. 

Lance shows Shiro the scar , and Shiro holds him , allowing Lance the comfort he needs to cry. 

Shiro whispers of dreams where his arm is back , no trace left of the Galra tech, and of the despair when he wakes to find it isn't truth. 

Lance whispers fearfully of nightmares , nightmares involving Galra blasters and an arm blown off , Lance left alone on a bloody battlefield with Galra closing in.

Nightmares of being injured , stuck in a damaged Blue Lion , crashing into a planet's unforgiving surface. Nightmares of help never arriving. 

Nightmares , he speaks tearfully, of his family slowly forgetting him. Nightmares of his mother packing away the traces of Lance in the house, of his belongings being banished to the attic. Nightmares of his baby sister growing up wondering if Lance was just a dream. Nightmares of his father falling into drinks , desperate to rid himself of the memory of a vanished child. 

 

Nightmares of living out a long and happy life in space while his family rejoices being rid of him. 

Nightmares of no one on Earth even caring he's gone. 

Nightmares of returning home at last to find everything he knew gone, destroyed by the Galra. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coran watches the Red and Blue Paladins with growing concern. 

Red and Blue always despise each other! That's the way of things! This....infatuation ....is unnatural! 

It's chilling to see affectionate hugs and loving exchanges of kisses between the pair. 

Some devilish scheme must be at play here! Some Galra trick, some kind of mind control or poison! 

That's the only explanation. Coran is absolutely certain that the pair are in danger. 

" Allura, can I examine Keith's brain? I think he's infected with something!" 

" Coran. Keith is infected with LOVE. Calm yourself. "

" Allura, this LOVE infection is unnatural! Red and Blue are natural enemies!!!! "

" And now they're natural mates. It's called 'change'. It's good. " 

" Good? You must be ill as well! IT'S CONTAGIOUS!!!!!"


	7. Crash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Galran Cloaking technology isn't only for their soldiers , and the Voltron crew finds that out in a terrifying way....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHUMP WARNING 
> 
> Everyone gets hurt in this chapter! 
> 
> E V E R Y O N E 
> 
> Brace yourself , folks. There's hurt coming. But comfort too! 
> 
> Someone was worried about Lance ? He's gonna get lots of comfort in this chapter so don't worry.

Weeks have passed calmly . Lance is recovering well with Keith and Shiro to talk to. Coran is finally convinced that there's nothing wrong with Keith and Lance. 

Pidge is still stalking the couple , Hunk isn't quite as jealous anymore, and Allura is relieved that all of them are fine. 

 

There's peace in the Castle of Lions. 

All is well. 

 

But not for long......... 

 

Late in the night , when everyone except Pidge and Allura is asleep , alarms ring loudly through the castle . The ship suddenly lurches heavily to one side. Allura is stunned. She fights with the controls, trying to figure out what's wrong. 

Pidge races into the control room , eyes wide with fear. " Allura? What's going on?" 

Allura doesn't know what to tell them. Alarms screech again as the ship lurches wildly to.the left, throwing both of them to the floor. 

Allura can hear concerned voices in the halls , her sleeping Paladins woken by the sudden noise and confusing lurches. 

A loud explosion rocks the ship as the remaining five crew members wander into the control room in varying states of alertness. 

" What's going on??? Are we being attacked????"  
Shiro demanded , blinking slumber out of his eyes. 

" We must be, but the sensors show nothing! " Allura cried, frantically scanning the control panels and the star maps , desperate to see the attackers. But nothing appeared. 

A second explosion rocks the ship, and suddenly , the artificial gravity is down and the ship begins to spiral out of control, diving towards an unknown fate as the Paladins scream and try to hold on to something, anything to stay stable. 

Allura tries to cling to the control panel, but something hits the ship , and her grip is lost. She finds herself slamming into a wall , the last thing she hears is Coran and Shiro crying out her name. 

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Not again, Shiro thinks frantically. Not again. Not another crew lost to the Galra , because who else would attack like this? 

He watches helplessly as Allura is thrown into a wall and knocked out , watches as Keith tries to soothe a panicked Lance , watches Pidge clinging to Hunk , whose hold on a door frame is beginning to slip. 

Coran is trying to make his way to Allura , but the ship is accelerating , the centrifugal force is increasing . 

Soon everyone is slammed harshly into the nearest surface , and Shiro winces at the cries and yelps of pain from his friends. He suppresses a groan himself when the unforgiving force pushes him into a portion of the wall that juts out , he feels his ribs give in. 

Hunk is curled protectively around Pidge, who is quietly crying . 

Keith and Lance are silent , and Shiro feels fear clench his heart. 

 

The ship's descent finally ends as it crashes hard and fast into the surface of a planet completely unfamiliar to Shiro. The impact throws them all around once more , then the ship is still. 

It is far too quiet now. 

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

" Shiro? Are you okay? Oh , what am I saying, no one's okay! Oh God, this is a mess...." Hunk's voice cut through the darkness , pulling Shiro to consciousness . 

" Hunk? I'm...I'm bruised and my ribs are busted , but I think I'll be okay. What about you and the others?" Shiro sat up slowly, surveying the damage to the ship and his friends . 

A large hole had been torn in the hull, presumably on impact. Several fires burned , one alarmingly close to Keith and Lance. Shiro stood immediately, nudging Hunk and pointing to the problem. 

" Oh no! I didn't see that! I just woke up, I'm sorry Shiro! " Hunk apologized frantically as the pair hurried over to the Blue and Red Paladins . 

Shiro tried to rouse Keith, only getting a light moan in reply. Lance was coming around, but not quickly enough. Glancing at Hunk , Shiro lifted Keith beneath the shoulders and began to move the Red Paladin to a safer position near Pidge. Hunk followed Shiro's lead , quickly dragging Lance to where Pidge was sitting. 

Mere seconds after they had moved their friends, the fire began devouring the area they'd been in. 

Shiro shuddered to think what might have happened if Hunk had woken up later. 

 

Pidge looked at Shiro, and Shiro frowned. Pidge was crying. Pidge didn't cry very often. They were brave. 

" Shiro? I'm scared. What's gonna happen now? " 

The question came out sounding pinched , due to the bandage across their nose. Shiro noticed Pidge was cradling their left wrist as well, a makeshift brace secured around it. The injuries had been tended to , but Shiro was unsure who had done so. 

Pidge noticed Shiro's stare. " Oh. Coran woke up first. He bandaged me up. He's got a bad concussion, like Allura, but he says he'll be okay. Allura will be too. Speaking of Coran, he's probably gonna nurse you and Hunk next. He's merciless." 

Sure enough, Coran stumbled over, wielding a first aid kit that he'd somehow found. " I want to fix up Blue and Red, but I don't dare touch them until they're awake to react to pain. Don't want to do more damage. You humans are notoriously fragile. " 

Coran set to work bandaging Shiro's ribs and minor cuts on his face. Hunk was next and got a bandage for a gash in his arm . 

By that point, Lance was waking up fully. He blinked several times in confusion, then attempted to sit up , immediately groaning and cursing , glaring at his right arm. " What the hell happened? Did we crash? Keith? Oh my god, where's Keith? MULLET BOY!" Lance spoke rapidly , coughing after yelling. 

" Lance, calm down. Keith's right over there. He's two feet away. Yes, we crashed. But we're going to be okay. Is your arm hurt?" Shiro spoke as calmly as he could , worried that Lance would have a panic attack.

Lance sighed." Yeah. Ribs are sore too. And my head hurts. What are we gonna do? The Castle's wrecked. What if the lions....what if they are too?" 

Shiro tried not to think about that. 

Coran immediately calmed that fear. " Not to worry! The Lions are all fine! I checked on them myself when I woke up. You lot were all asleep anyway. We can still get to the lions and, by some vast miracle, we can even get the Lions out of their hangars! We have a way off this planet. And the star maps show that Arus is only a two hour flight away! It's only us and the castle that were damaged. " 

Shiro sighed in relief.

Lance still had a haunted look. Shiro sat beside him and hugged him as Coran patched him up. " We're going to be okay. You're going to be okay. " 

Pidge soon joined in, ruffling Lance's hair. " Yeah, Blue Baby. You're gonna be fine. We all are. We're here, you're safe. " 

Hunk sat down across from Lance ." Buddy, I swear on my grandma's grave, you'll be fine. We're going to get out of here and things will work out. " 

Keith's tired voice chimed in. " Are you whining again, Blue Boy? Calm down, you'll be all right. You're not alone this time . Don't be a wimp. Bet you ten bucks my bruises are worse than yours. " 

" No way! Mine are totally bigger! " 

Shiro smiled. Perhaps things would be all right.


	8. Pursuit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Voltron crew prepares to leave for Arus, they find they are not alone.   
> The Galra are determined to capture the Lions , and though the Paladins are all injured , Shiro refuses to lose anyone else to the Galrans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't updated for like a week! I've been busy. 
> 
> To apologize, this chapter will be extra- long!

Allura was ashamed of herself. She had failed her Paladins, had been unable to keep them safe. Now everyone was injured because of her failure. If she'd only been able to detect the enemy sooner , they would all be fine, the Castle would be undamaged and the Paladins wouldn't be stuck having to pilot the Lions while hurt. 

She couldn't bear to see them in pain. As strange as it felt to admit, they were her family now . She'd come to care deeply for each of them. Shiro, with his ever-present calm and bravery. Hunk , with such kindness and strength. Pidge and their incredible intellect , Keith and his daring moves in battle, even Lance with his rash bravery. 

She had allowed the Galra to hurt them all , and how could they ever forgive her? As she watched them , Shiro stared back , and she wondered what he felt for her now. Anger, no doubt. Hatred, perhaps? Betrayal? 

Shiro stood, and walked over to where she sat. 

" Allura? Are you okay? You haven't spoken since you woke up. I'm worried about you." His words came as a shock. He was concerned for HER?   
Didn't he know this was all her fault? 

" Me? I'm all right, I just have a headache. I'm so sorry , Shiro. If I'd been a better pilot of the Castle, none of us would be hurt. .." She said softly , looking at him with tears in her eyes.

Shiro laughed. " That's not true, Allura! You're a great pilot! The Castle is a huge and complicated ship! It's thousands of years old , and I doubt I could pilot it half as well as you. This was just an accident. They happen to everyone. None of us blame you for this! The Galra are the ones who caused this. You managed to keep us all alive! No one died! That's a miracle , and you helped give that to us! Wounds heal, Allura. We'll be fine. Now come on, the others are worried about you. " 

Shiro helped her stand , and supported her gently as they walked over to the others. 

Coran smiled as soon as he saw her. " Princess! You're all right! I'm so relieved. " 

She returned his smile. " I'm pleased to see you're all right as well, Coran." 

Lance grinned at her . " Hey, you pulled through! You and Coran managed to survive with only a bump to the head! Must be that Altean magic of yours. Thanks for keeping us safe." 

The Blue Paladin had bandages wrapped around his chest , and several bandages covered what she assumed were cuts on his left arm. The right arm was in a sling, and she could see bruises on his face. "Oh , Lance. I'm sorry you were hurt again. Are you in much pain?" 

Lance shook his head. " Nah. Coran forced me to drink some Altean medicinal drink. It tasted like orange soda and vinegar. It was gross , but it works great! I'm not in any pain now. " 

Allura smiled . Coran had looked after her Paladins. She gave him a quick.hug. " Thank you for being such a good help, Coran. I truly don't deserve such a great friend. " 

Coran laughed, blushing a bit. " Oh , it was nothing, Princess. The Paladins are important to both of us and it would have been cruel to leave their wounds untreated. I simply did what anyone would have. " 

Keith chuckled. " Oh knock it off, Coran. You know you like us. Pidge told me how nice you were while you were playing doctor. " The Red Paladin sat beside Pidge, looking a bit beaten up , but not terribly so. A bandage covered part of his forehead , and one ankle had been carefully wrapped in a brace. He'd taken off the top of his flight suit , and she saw bruises on his arms. 

Pidge had a broken nose and a broken wrist and looked unharmed otherwise. Pidge smirked at her. " Don't worry, I'm okay. Hunk kept me safe. " 

At Pidge's words, Hunk frowned. " No I didn't! If I had kept you safe, you wouldn't be hurt! I....I didn't want you hurt...." 

Pidge sighed. " Hunk , you held onto me and kept me from getting thrown around the ship. I would've been hurt much worse than this if you hadn't grabbed me when you did. " 

Hunk blushed. " You mean that?" 

" Of course I do ,Hunk! You let yourself get beat up to protect me. You're a hero! " Pidge replied with a grin. They gave Hunk a thumbs up. 

Hunk smiled. " Thanks. "

 

Shiro cleared his throat. " We need to get moving, guys. It won't be long before the Galra come to inspect the wreck of the Castle. Everyone to your Lions! Coran, help Pidge, they might have trouble steering with an injured wrist. Allura, can you stay with Lance ? With his arm, I worry he might have trouble steering too. I'll help Keith get to his hangar. Nobody leaves until all of us are ready, okay? I don't want anyone getting left by accident . "

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next two hours were the longest of Keith's life. He flew Red as close as possible to Blue , trying to protect Lance. Galra ships pursued them , firing lasers at them and forcing the Lions to dodge. Over the commlink , Keith could hear Lance's strained breathing , his grunts and groans whenever his broken arm got jostled. He heard Allura comforting him and encouraging him . He heard Hunk fretting as the Yellow Paladin desperately fought to shield the others from harm. He heard Shiro telling them all to stay calm and to stay close. He heard Pidge laughing whenever they destroyed a Galra ship. 

Shiro was hesitant to form Voltron because everyone was injured, but they had no choice. 

Voltron was formed and a fierce battle was waged . At last , the Galra fleet was defeated and the Paladins were free to continue their journey back to Arus. 

They all breathed a sigh of relief when they landed safely on Arus.


	9. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Voltron crew is safely back on Arus and they begin to rebuild and heal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter , I've been sucked back into the Bleach fandom and I'm obsessed again.... 
> 
> If you liked this and want another Klance thing send an ask to me on tumblr! 
> 
> teenage-mutant-angsty - zukos
> 
> Enjoy!Thank you for reading, I never thought this would hit over 1k YOU GUYS OH MY GOD THANKS   
> This is the first fic I ever wrote and I'm so pleased .....

Allura was completely amazed at Coran. Somehow , in all the chaos of the castle crashing , he'd managed to save a database file .The backup file for the castle . He had quietly.handed her the small Altean data pad when they landed on Arus. 

" What are we going to do without the castle- Coran? What is this?" She'd been confused and then delighted. 

" CORAN! YOU'RE THE GREATEST!" She hugged him, grinning. 

The Paladins laughed. 

Over the next months , the project of rebuilding the castle commenced. Allura contacted peaceful planets and used trustworthy contacts to gather the necessary supplies. Pidge and Hunk were thrilled to have something to create.   
Everyone helped by doing what they could. 

Lance turned out to have a knack for inventory lists and kept track of supplies.

" When did you get organized, Baby Blue?" Pidge asked , watching him sort a box of parts . 

Lance blushed, tugging nervously at his sling. " Uh, I grew up with eight siblings . You kind of absorb neatness and organizing. Mom's a clean freak. " 

Keith was good with tools and helped Hunk with varied engineering projects . 

Shiro kept everyone on schedule and made sure safety was ensured during construction. 

 

Coran and Allura were the go-to pair for questions . 

" Which way do I connect this glowing squiggly thing?" 

" Horizontally, clearly. " Coran would answer. 

" AHHH! ALLURA ARE THE BLUE CRYSTAL THINGS SUPPOSED TO SPARK LIGHTNING BOLTS????? HUNK RUNNNNNNN!" 

" Pidge, calm down , you've simply put them in crooked . " 

" LANCE BE CAREFUL, THAT IS A VERY DANGEROUS ALTEAN POWER CONVERTER MATRIX DISK, YOU CAN'T SIMPLY HOLD IT! DON'T DROP-and he dropped it .Get the med kit Coran. " 

" I DIDN'T KNOW IT WOULD MELT ON ME IF I DROPPED IT ALLURA!"

**Author's Note:**

> Hey I'm new to this , so any suggestions are welcome! Please kindly correct my mistakes! I hope you enjoy this story!


End file.
